This invention relates to an engine oil makeup and extended operation oil exchange system for automatically maintaining the amount of engine oil in an engine oil sump and for increasing the total volume of oil available for lubricating the engine by continuously exchanging engine oil between an oil tank containing oil and the engine oil sump during extended operation.
Engine oils, used as a lubricants, lose their initial qualities after prolonged or extended use and are no longer effective. Therefore, it is necessary to change the used engine oil after a period of time.
In conventional engine lubrication systems, an internal combustion engine powered by diesel fuel or gasoline is lubricated by lubrication oil which is distributed to moving parts of the engine susceptible to frictional wear. After a prolonged use, however, the quality of engine oil degrades and loses its effectiveness due to accumulation of combustion-generated solid debris and chemicals, accumulation of frictionally generated metallic particles and degradation of molecular weight with attendant drop in viscosity. Thus, such degradation in the quality of the lubrication oil necessitates the changing of the lubrication oil. Further, during engine operation it is necessary to maintain the amount of lubrication oil in the engine. Typically, this is solved by periodically maintaining the oil level and changing the oil as required.
In certain situations, it may be impossible to periodically maintain the oil level and quality. For example, when the engine is located in remote locations or in difficult to reach locations. Also, emergencies may occur wherein it is impossible to periodically maintain the oil level and quality.
One solution to this problem is the use of an engine oil makeup system. In some engine oil makeup systems, engine oil is periodically partially changed to maintain oil level and quality. Another type of engine oil changing system uses an engine oil exchange system, wherein engine oil is circulated to exchange used oil with fresh oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,092 discloses an engine oil makeup and exchanging system. In this engine oil makeup and exchanging system, excess oil in an engine is transferred to an oil tank at intervals by pumps during engine operation. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,561 discloses yet another kind of oil changing system. In this oil changing system, used lubrication oil is recirculated and mixed with fuel in a fuel tank. The oil/fuel mixture is then burned in the fuel system.
The present invention offers improvements over the prior art and solves many problems associated with the prior art.